by Kay Lyons
Distracted, she stuck a note on top of a chart and nodded, her eyebrows pulled down as she wrote on the yellow sticky. “Soon.”
“How about now?” he urged with a low laugh when he heard the distinct sound of her stomach growling. “I’m hungry again and you’ve proved you’re up to the task by being so engrossed you’ve backed yourself into a corner.”
Melissa added the file to the top of a stack and looked up, her face coloring slightly when she noted the truth of his words. She stood and, with careful placement of her feet, crossed the small waiting room, trying not to cause any of the piles surrounding her to topple. Tall and graceful, she looked like a dancer with her short, trendy hair and lithe form.
Long gone were the carefully braided pigtails, buck teeth and the kid who’d tripped over her own feet nearly as often as he had. Melissa held her arms away from her body for balance but wobbled on the next-to-last step. She adjusted quickly and then hopped the last files without incident.
“Oh, I almost forgot.” She knelt down and grabbed a pile of thick file folders. Rising and turning, her head low because she concentrated on what she was doing, she hadn’t seen him step forward to help and he didn’t have time to get out of her way. Melissa bumped into him, the files she held sliding to the right. Bryan scrambled to help her keep the foot-thick stack from falling, but ended up grasping her arms and smashing the files between them to do so.
Color spread up Melissa’s neck into her face. “Sorry.”
“No problem.” Except it was.
He couldn’t move, because if he did, everything would wind up on the floor. She shifted and tried to straighten the files again, her elbows digging into his stomach in the process. The mass of paper kept them from full contact, but desire raced through him regardless. Now? His body was responding now?
“I’ve got them. Oops, wait a sec. Now I do.” She smiled up at him. “Thanks.”
Up close, her hair smelled of raspberries and looked so soft his fingers twitched with the need to touch it. The sprinkling of freckles across her nose were undisguised by powder, but the sight of them made him want to—
“You can let go now.”
Bryan released her and stepped back, more than a little surprised at himself for feeling like a hormonal teenager on a rampage. Melissa turned and walked away, seemingly unaffected by what had just happened. And him? Biting back a curse, he ran a hand over his mouth and rubbed hard to erase the temptation of kissing those freckles.
Melissa was the epitome of the girl next door—blond, blue eyed, long legged and thin. But thanks to her speech earlier and because of his past, he couldn’t ignore the fact she was too thin, her hair too short and her eyes shadowed by light circles born of prolonged illness—one he didn’t want to ever have to acknowledge again.
Not on an intimate level.
Melissa walked over to the desk to place the files on the corner and then began gathering up the dozen pens scattered across the top of the long counter. Within seconds, she’d put a fistful in the nearly empty container and went on to another task. Did she feel the tension, too? Somehow he doubted it. She seemed…oblivious. Simply trying to get as much work done as possible before she had to leave.
Curious, drawn by some invisible, unrecognizable force, Bryan moved to lean his elbows atop the high counter. His mind warned him to back off and not go where his thoughts led, but he couldn’t help himself. It was too strange. He wasn’t used to being dismissed by a woman.
Melissa glanced up at him. “Is something wrong?”
“No.” He reined in his thoughts once more. “Just wondering if you like Italian?”
“Oh, right, lunch. Sure, Italian’s goo—”
The phone rang and he glanced at the caller ID screen. “It’s the station, probably the chief.”
Melissa hesitated. It was obvious to him that she didn’t want to pick up, but why?
Ellen’s comment about husbands not wanting their wives under the same roof as him bounced through his head. Did the same apply to Melissa’s police chief father?
Hal hadn’t liked the antics Bryan and Melissa had gotten into as kids: letting the air out of Melissa’s piano teacher’s tires at the grocery so the woman would have to cancel and Melissa wouldn’t have to stop playing; climbing the old oak tree in the park with backpacks full of snacks so it couldn’t be cut down. Fun times. Great memories. But big trouble for the chief.
The phone rang a third time. “Want me to get that?”
Groaning softly, she snatched the receiver from the base. “Dr. Booker’s office. Hi, Dad. Yeah, things are okay. No, I’m—we’re ordering lunch here.” She glanced at Bryan before turning away. “No, we’ve only just taken a break for lunch… Dad, no. Yes, I appreciate the offer, but… No, I can’t make it… Yes, I’m sure…” Her voice lowered. “Because we’re working… I know it’s right next door,” she said cryptically, shooting him a wry look over her shoulder. “No, I don’t have time right now… Yes, that’s really why… I’m sure. Goodbye, Dad. Goodbye. I’m hanging up now,” she stated firmly before she pressed the button.
Bryan raised a brow, impressed. “Did you just hang up on the chief of police?”
Amusement lit Melissa’s features. “No, I just hung up on my dad.” She released a weary huff and replaced the handset. “And I said goodbye, so that doesn’t qualify as hanging up.”
“Right. Well, don’t say no on my account. Lunch with Ellen sounds like a good way to get to know each other better, and she’s a great cook.” That comment earned him a glare. “I take it you’re not okay with him marrying her?”
He could see her struggling with an inner debate. “I never said that.”
“But you don’t want to go over for lunch?” He watched while she bustled around the desk grabbing more pencils and pens, Hi-Liters, staple removers and paper clips. “For what it’s worth, she’s a nice person. If you give Ellen a chance you might like her.”
Melissa’s teeth sank into her lower lip while she opened various drawers and began tossing the items. “It’s not—” She broke off with a groan. “I know I need to go. From the way it sounds it’s practically a done deal.”
“She does have a ring.” That got him another glare.
“She’s taking advantage of him, of his loneliness. Why can’t he see that?”
“Maybe she’s not,” he suggested mildly. “Maybe she’s in love with him. Either way, there’s only one way to find out and that’s by spending time with them together. See how they are around one another.”
Her shoulders slumped and she was silent a long moment. “I suppose if I went now, it would mean a short visit. I’d have to finish up what I started here, right?” She paused, obviously considering her alternatives. “It would give me an excuse to leave, rather than getting stuck there indefinitely on another day when I have no schedule to keep.”
He couldn’t stop the smile that formed. “Melissa, she doesn’t bite.”
She looked up at him, staring at him as though she’d momentarily forgotten he was there—and then was suddenly glad he was. Unease had him straightening. “What?”
“Nothing… I’m just glad you feel that way. Remember when you ran into Mrs. Borwick’s rose planter and broke it? When your grandfather caught us, you made me go with you to tell her you were sorry.”
“So? That was a long time ago.”
“Doesn’t matter,” she informed him, “because you didn’t return the favor—until now. You’re coming to lunch with me.”
Bryan shook his head. He didn’t want to be involved in the family squabble any more than he already was. “I wasn’t invited.”
She tossed aside a paper calendar. “You are now. I’ll call Dad back and let him know.”
* * *
THE FIRST THING Melissa noticed when she entered Ellen’s house was the homey feel. Unlike Bryan’s Edwardian-style home/medical practice, Ellen’s home was a mixture of ranch, farmhouse and Victorian all rolled into one.
They ente
red through the kitchen door after a cheery “Come in!” followed their knock, and Melissa listened to the other woman’s hurried footsteps heading in their direction while taking in the sunflower wallpaper and bright decor. Reds and yellows brightened the oak cabinets and furniture, and the hardwood floors, dotted with rag-hooked rugs in a variety of shades and textures, were yet another welcoming touch.
“See? Not the dungeon you imagined your father trapped in, huh?” Bryan teased quietly. “And do you smell that? That’s not gruel, but Ellen’s fried chicken. Best I’ve ever eaten. I think I’m going to enjoy being your date.”
Date? Melissa did her best to ignore the way her heart rate increased at his choice of words.
Yeah, like Dr. Love would do someone like you.
Melissa stepped away from him to establish some much-needed distance. Her reaction was a physical one, nothing else, the result of being unable to remember the last time a man other than her father or a hospital orderly had touched her. She didn’t want Bryan to do her, wasn’t interested in him at all. It was just a thought, fleeting, one of those what-if’s that came from out of nowhere when she least expected it.
She knew whoever consented to sex with her would wind up feeling a certain amount of pity. She supposed that was inevitable. But she couldn’t tolerate pity from someone like Bryan, someone so perfect.
“Bryan! What a nice surprise. I’m glad you could join us.”
“Do you mind?”
“Of course not,” Ellen said with a smile. “You know you’re always welcome. Anytime.”
* * *
GRATEFUL FOR the distraction from her too-strange musings, Melissa watched Ellen’s approach only to be even more upset when she noticed the way the woman’s engagement ring sparkled in the sunlight.
She’d never been offered a ring.
The thought sliced through Melissa’s over-stressed brain. It might be mean, maybe even catty, but how fair was it that she’d never had a chance to walk down the aisle and probably never would?
“Melissa, I’m so glad you could join us. Please make yourself at home.”
“Thank you.” Her voice emerged raspy, earning a suspicious glance from Bryan that she ignored.
Ellen’s hands fluttered at her waist. “Your father just arrived. He’s in the bathroom washing up and will be in shortly.”
Silence filled the air and they stood in the kitchen staring at each other. Seconds ticked by and still no one spoke.
Finally Bryan looked back and forth between the two of them and cleared his throat.
“Uh, why don’t Melissa and I help you set the table or something? The sooner it’s done, the sooner we eat.” He rubbed his hands together as though he couldn’t wait, and the act drew a soft, high-pitched laugh from Ellen along with a touch to his arm.
Melissa wondered at their familiarity and studied the woman more closely. Ellen’s short hair framed a face gently lined but youthful. She wore a light dusting of makeup that enhanced her features, stylish glasses, a rust-colored shirt and a denim jumper with fall leaves and scarecrows stitched on the pockets. Men might not be scrambling to do a surgery-mutilated woman, but there was something homey about Ellen that put her in the do-able category.
“Thank you, Bryan, but everything is almost ready. Why don’t you go sit down? Melissa, maybe you’d give me a hand?”
Bryan disappeared in a flash and Melissa glared at his back, wondering why she’d thought for a moment he’d stick around as a buffer. He was obviously on Ellen’s side.
From somewhere in the interior of the house a door opened and familiar footfalls sounded across the old wood floors. She heard her father greet Bryan and the two of them began talking, the walls muting their deep voices.
“I guess we’d better get this on the table so you can all get back to work.” Ellen set to work dishing the food into large bowls and platters, and Melissa watched for a moment to see where things were kept before stepping forward to help. They performed the chore in tense silence, but when everything was ready to carry into the dining room, Ellen stilled and Melissa knew the moment had come. Her heart picked up speed and sweat beaded her forehead. Why had she let Bryan talk her into this?
“Melissa, before we go in there I—I’d like to say something. I—I love your father very much. We never meant to hurt you by keeping our relationship private.”
Private, not secret. Melissa’s grip tightened around the lip of the bowl she held, and she faced the woman who would become her stepmother at this late date in her life. Unless she made her father see that dating was one thing, and perfectly okay, but marriage—
“Well that’s all I wanted to say. I guess we’d better get this in there before it gets cold.”
Melissa nodded readily at the excuse to escape and started toward the dining room where Bryan and her father waited.
“Melissa?”
She should’ve known she couldn’t get away so easily. She paused in the doorway.
“I don’t expect you to like me right away, but please try to understand that we just want to be together. Hal needs to be loved for the man he is, not because he’s your father or the chief or anyone else, but as a man. Surely you understand that?”
Melissa ignored Ellen’s question and forced herself to put one foot in front of the other. The best thing to do was get the luncheon over with as quickly as possible and get out of there.
And she intended to do just that.
* * *
THE NEXT HOUR CONFIRMED Melissa’s fear that she had to work fast if anything she said or did was going to change her father’s plans. The problem was exacerbated by the fact she still couldn’t decide if Ellen’s behavior was an act or not. Her dad was handsome, yes, but Ellen couldn’t seem take her eyes off him. She touched her hair and smoothed it away from her cheek, listened with rapt attention to every word her dad spoke. She waited on him, refilled his iced-tea glass and smiled nonstop albeit shakily when she caught Melissa watching.
The woman displayed all the classic signs of being in love, but that didn’t make it any easier to accept. Ellen was taking advantage of her father’s loneliness. His pain. Why couldn’t he see that? Melissa shoved her food around on her plate, not the least bit hungry.
“Anna was gone this morning when Ellen got up,” her father informed Bryan. The statement brought Melissa out of her daze.
“I just hope the poor girl called someone to come get her and didn’t walk all the way home. She was hurting pretty bad when she went upstairs to lie down last night,” Ellen murmured.
Bryan sat with his head down, his gaze unfocused. He’d been devouring Ellen’s cuisine seconds ago but now set his fork aside and shifted in his chair. “Sometimes no matter how much you want to help there’s only so much you can do.” Bryan lifted his glass of tea but paused when the mug neared his lips. “Accepting it isn’t easy, but you can’t let that stop you from helping others.”
“I agree. And she’ll be back,” her dad said with a nod. “Once the abuse starts it only escalates. I have a feeling we’ll be getting more calls about that girl.”
The mood around the room darkened even more, but thankfully Bryan changed the topic by asking about the toy drive. From then on Bryan and her dad kept the conversation on lighter subjects and ignored her poor manners and silence. While they discussed town politics, gas prices and upcoming events, she felt the gap between her and her dad widening.
Finally an hour had gone by, and Melissa pushed herself to her feet. “Um, you know, lunch was great, but I’ve—we’ve got to get going.” Her dad shot her a disappointed look she ignored. “Sorry, but we’ve got a lot of files to go through and put away before I leave to get ready for Ashley’s baby shower. Right now they’re covering the entire reception area.”
“She’s right,” Bryan agreed, scooting his chair back to stand. “I’m Joe’s entertainment while the ladies are partying, so if I don’t show up to get him, Ashley’ll have my head. Ellen, lunch was phenomenal as always. Thank you.
”
“You’re welcome. I’ll be sure to save some leftovers for you. Come get them this evening for dinner if you like.”
Melissa watched the exchange, noting her dad didn’t look particularly happy at the thought of Bryan dropping by. Why? Did he know something about the two of them? Had Bryan and Ellen had a thing? If the rumors of his conquests were true…
Bryan picked up his plate. “How about we help you carry in the dishes?”
Melissa glanced at her father and flushed when she read his expression. She should’ve been the one to offer, not Bryan. She should’ve thanked her hostess, should’ve been more friendly. Should’ve eaten her food and not been the first to jump to her feet to leave. “The least we can do is clear the table for you.”
“No, no, don’t worry about that.” Ellen looked as relieved as she was that the gathering had come to an end. “I’ll take care of them, you two go on. The last time I was in that office, it looked like a hurricane had blown through.” Ellen shooed them again. “Leave those dishes alone, and go get your work done so you can have some fun later.”
Melissa avoided her father and followed Bryan to the dining-room door, adding her goodbyes to his. They made their way through the kitchen and out into the afternoon sun before she could comfortably breathe a sigh. “Thank you so much for talking me into that.”
Bryan winced. “The claws came out, huh? I thought we’d have to leave when you came into the dining room looking ready for battle. You barely spoke at all and didn’t eat a thing.”
“Trust me, I wasn’t hungry after Ellen pulled me aside for a little talk in the kitchen.”